Volcanoes National Park!!!

While on a visit to Rwanda, I saw my first volcano!

Why, hello Sabyinyo Volcano.

A woman works the fields just near the volcanoes.

The park is home to five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains.

We began hiking up the mountains and wow, just wow. Bamboo forests like I've never seen before.

I had no idea that bamboo forests make a creaking sound--almost like an old door opening---

when the wind blows through them.  It's very eerie and beautiful.

Why were we hiking?  Why we were mountain gorilla trekking of course!

Here's where we stopped while the guides hacked a path through the forest to where our family of gorillas were resting.

Some of the guides.

My first view of the famed mountain gorillas.

Here's a teaser of the next post: isn't he just adorable?!

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A Respite at Lake Kivu

After a hauntingly sad day near Kigali, visiting memorials to the Rwandan genocide, I found myself at Lake Kivu.
I felt as if I had visited to different planets in the same day. Isn't she just beautiful?

Lake Kivu forms the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just at the town of Goma.
Goma sadly is so often in the news for all the rebel fighting with M23.

Lake Kivu is one of Africa's Great Lakes and was absolutely beautiful.

Although it felt a bit surreal, to bask in the warmth of the sun, listening to the waves, and knowing I could hop, skip, and a jump and I'd be in Goma.
We passed a huge contingent of UN peacekeepers heading into Goma.  It was a quick reminder not all in the Great Lakes region is calm.

The lake near the town of Gisenyi.

Scenes of the Rwandan county side. Not so bad from a moving vehicle, eh?

An apostolic church.

Nearing Volcanoes National Park.

My first glimpse of the Rwandan volcanoes!

As part of the healing process since the genocide, Rwandan women, usually in community groups,
have been making peace baskets, seen on the lady on the left's head, to bring gifts and signs of respect
to others when they visit.  They have become popular with visitors for the healing they symbolize and
the income they generate for villages.

A sneak peak of the next post!  Volcanoes here we come!!

For more information on the fighting in the Congo and about Goma.
For more information on Lake Kivu.

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